Tag Archives: Teacher Librarian Roles

INF533 – Literature in the digital environment reflection

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Assignment 4 PART C: Critical Reflection  

Digital Literature is a term that is as broad as the digital environment it is part of.  It refuses to be contained and evolves at the same pace as the technologies used to create, share and view it.  I have come to realise through the subject of “Literature in the Digital Environment” not only the breadth of this term, but its importance to educators of students in the 21st Century (Fitzgerald, 2017).  To be digitally literate in today’s digital information overloaded world students need to be engaged with digital texts embedded into the curriculum in meaningful ways in both the consumption and production aspects of acquiring knowledge.

The use of the term ‘literature’ confused me at the beginning of this subject as I equated it with ‘fiction’ only.  Through completing the second assignment for this subject I discovered that digital literature, electronic literature, and e-literature are broad concept terms encompassing both fiction and non-fiction works, that make use of the digital world affordances which allow for manipulation, encouraging participation with the texts themselves, intertwining genres, media and platforms (Crowley, 2017).  This blurring of genres, media and platforms are mirrored in the blurring of the line between consumers and producers of digital literature, as the trend for participation in the production, through interactions, create a continual cycle where some digital literature forms continually evolve and adapt as viewers/users/players engage with the material.

In the discussion forum for trends in digital literature I asked “Where can I find digital literature” only to find out that it is everywhere!  Our students are familiar with many forms of digital literature, whether they recognise it or not.  They have produced digital stories, and participated in them through their access to social media forums.  Ask any teenager with a smartphone to show you their snapchat or Instagram story?  Walsh (2010) believes teachers who match students learning activities to the “digital communication practices used outside school” will help engage students to be active in the learning process (p. 226).  Walsh also believed that good digital literature displays a synergy between the technology and the quality of the literature (Walsh M. , 2013).  Incorporating digital literacy into the curriculum in ways that are meaningful and engage students is the challenge of education in the 21st century (Walker, Jameson, & Ryan, 2010, p. 221).  How can we utilise the communication practices students use outside school when many schools restrict access to social media and many other sites?  I am lucky enough to work in a school that employs a BYOD program with specific guidelines as to the capabilities of the device, many schools have no such guidelines or in many cases no devices used systematically across the school.  To implement digital literature into our school programs in meaningful ways that enhance student engagement requires time of professionals that are already time poor, a topic that was raised in the discussion forum for this subject (Fraser, 2017).  I believe that we need to find the time and harness the benefits of using digital literature, especially digital storytelling in our educational practice.

The curriculum is being pushed towards embracing inquiry learning and collaborative learning and digital literature facilitates this through embracing digital storytelling (Crowley L. , 2017).  Digital storytelling blends media with the written word to enhance it.  Using narrative and storytelling techniques digitally, we are seeing a return to the spoken and visual components of storytelling.  Neuroscientist have proven the benefits of engaging with narratives to increase involvement, memory and empathy, which is why advertising companies use them to such success (Schwertly, 2014).  We remember the advertisements.  We feel strongly about advertisements.  This is the power of storytelling – why wouldn’t we use it to help students remember, be involved and feel empathy about what they are learning in class?

Digital literature and digital storytelling empower the full array of diverse learners in our classrooms.  They can choose how involved they become with the material, to which depth they want to follow or even at what level they want to read.  They can choose the best way to access the material, manipulating the content to suit their needs.

The ease at which content can be added or used digitally makes fair use and copyright issues at the forefront of all digital literature producers’ minds.  Through engaging students academically in digital literature and digital storytelling we are ensuring that they are aware of not only their rights but the rights of all producers of material sourced electronically.  Knowing that the story you produce will be shared with the worldwide community ensures that you follow the copyright rules, such as seeking permission if an item is under copyright.  In compiling my digital story for this subject I had to do just that with the National Film and Sound Archive.

Humans are social beings, and literature allows us to socialise with people not only in our immediate circle.  Digital literature allows for instantaneous interactions to be occurring across the globe.  Personally, I have been exposed to some amazing digital literature through this course and now feel confident in helping others find all the benefits that digital literature has to offer. After all, “literature deserves its prestige for one reason above all others:  because it’s a tool to help us live and die with a little more wisdom, goodness and sanity” (The School of Life, 2014).

(The School of Life, 2014)

Word Count: 817

References

Crowley, L. (2017, September 13). Digital storytelling is our future. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/lenacrowley/2017/09/13/digital-storytelling-is-our-future/

Crowley, L. (2017, August 27). INF533 assignment 2 part b: Critical reflection of digital literature experience. Retrieved from https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/lenacrowley/2017/08/27/inf533-assignment-2-part-b-critical-reflection-of-digital-literature-experiences/

Fitzgerald, L. (2017). INF533 – Literature in Digital Environment. Wagga Wagga: Charles Sturt University. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_26925_1&content_id=_1546313_1

Fraser, J. (2017, August 6). The importance of time. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&course_id=_26925_1&conf_id=_45305_1&forum_id=_95356_1&message_id=_1412607_1&nav=discussion_board_entry

Hall, T. (2012). Digital renaissance: The creative potential of narrative technology in education. Creative Education, 3(1), 96-100. Retrieved from http://file.scirp.org/Html/17301.html

Schwertly, S. (2014, October 22). The neuroscience of storytelling. Retrieved from https://www.ethos3.com/2014/10/the-neuroscience-of-storytelling/

The School of Life. (2014, September 18). What is literature for? Retrieved from https://youtu.be/4RCFLobfqcw cited in Fitzgerald, L. (2017). INF533 – Literature in Digital Environment. Wagga Wagga: Charles Sturt University. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_26925_1&content_id=_1546313_1

Walker, S., Jameson, J., & Ryan, M. (2010). Skills and strategies for E-learning in a participatory culture. In R. Sharpe, H. Beetham, & F. S. De, Rethinking learning for a digital age: How learners are shaping their own experiences. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Walsh, M. (2010). Multimodal literacy: What does it mean for classroom practice? Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33(3), 211-239. Retrieved from https://www.alea.edu.au/documents/item/63

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment. In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers (pp. 181-194). Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETTA).

 

 

Recognising Aesthetic Synergy

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As I am completing the reading for my subject INF533: Literature in digital environments I am constantly thinking I – How are we using digital literature educationally?  James & De Kock (2013) called paperback books closed environments and commented that with digital literature the reader decides their level of engagement (p. 120).  I would argue that we as readers have always decided our level of engagement.   You can have two students read the same piece of literature and yet see it completely differently depending on how ‘engaged’ they are with the text.  Yes digital literature allows for interactions and exploration during the reading text, if the reader chooses to, but are they engaging or simply viewing?  Are they simply getting lost in the world of hyperlinks and digital features.  We as educators need to empower our students with the skills required for them to judge the quality of what they are reading in both a digital and non-digital form.  Walsh (2013) outlined the aspects of good literature as  the “aesthetic synergy between the technical features, artistic creation of text and the ideas within it” (p187).  In our information overloaded world this ability to recognise good literature when a lot of material is self-published needs to be taught.  Students need to be able to recognise  the devices that an author or producer of good text uses in order to produce their own quality material, which as Yokato & Teale (2014) highlighted is central to being literate in the 21st century (p.584).

James, R. & De Kock, L. (2013). The digital david and the gutenberg goliath: the rise of the ‘enhanced’e-book. English Academy Review, 30(1), pp. 107-123. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10131752.2013.783394

Yokota, J. & Teale, W. H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6). Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/3886534/Picture_Books_and_the_Digital_World_Educators_Making_Informed_Choices

Walsh, M. (2013). Literature in a digital environment (Ch. 13). In L. McDonald (Ed.), A literature companion for teachers. Marrickville, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA). https://www.csu.edu.au/division/library/ereserve/pdf/walsh-m3.pdf

 

 

Forum 5.1 Information Literacy – What I have learnt so far…

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Open book with random letters floating off open pages
Open book with random letters floating off open pages

Mediamodifier / Pixabay

The new formats and delivery modes or multi-modal resources do not require users to have different literacy skills, but do require extensions of the traditional literacy definitions.

The National Secretariat for the International Year of Literacy (1990) stated the “the goal is an active literacy, which allows people to use language to enhance their capacity to think, create and question, in order to participate effectively in society” (School of Information Studies, 2017, p. 1).  I believe this statement could have been written at any stage in history.  Literacy has not changed, but society, through technology has.  The fundamental skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and understanding evolve with society.  Technology has changed how information is shared, the fundamental skills to interpret, process and use information effectively in this changing complex world essentially have not.

The world we and our students live in is more culturally and ethnically diverse than ever.  This does not mean we need different skills, but a deeper understanding of how context affects the way we process information and use it effectively in the various multi-modal methods available to us.  Throughout time there has always been variance in how language is used in context to different situations and method of delivery.   The expanding nature that technology is playing on methods of information transfer just means that we as a society need to have an understanding of the context we are in.  An example of this is having students understand the ‘netiquette’ rules may be different when emailing a teacher compared to a friend and writing your assignment in ‘netlish’ is not an appropriate use of language in that situation.

Our definitions of literacy and the literacy skills that we teach need to be seen as evolving concepts, not static, if they are going to prepare our students for the world of tomorrow.

School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University (2017). Introduction to teacher librarianship, semester 1 Module 5 (ETL401). Wagga Wagga: Charles Sturt University.

Forum 4.2-3 Collaborative Practice

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A network of circles with a symbol for a person in each one with a human fingure pressing the central figure.
A network of circles with a symbol for a person in each one with a human fingure pressing the central figure.

geralt / Pixabay

When teachers see working with other teachers as a challenge the teacher librarian needs to act as the conduit of change.  Finding departments that are willing to work with the teacher librarian or individual teachers who are willing and focus on them, would be the perfect place to start.  Use the successes of this collaboration as an add on to other teachers if they are interested.  The teacher librarian needs to show that what they are doing supplements and assists the teachers rather than taking away from them and their precious time with students.

Collaboration as a whole school approach allows for the students to develop the fundamental skills that will enable them to thrive in the fast paced innovative world we live in.  It forces the system to have a shared vision of student learning and for all compartments within that system to be on the same page.  This is where implementing an Information Literacy Model, such as Guided Inquiry Design, across the whole school would help.  Collaboration is built into the stages of inquiry, both teachers and students learn the valuable skills of collaboration.  Teacher and teacher librarian collaborate on a professional level in planning, implementing and evaluating.

Forum 4.1 Are the acquisition of 21st century skills and the focus on accountability mutually exclusive?

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NO the acquisition of 21st Century skills and the focus on accountability are not mutually exclusive.  Of course we can develop the skills required for the 21st century and sill have accountability.  We need to have accountability in any system, the problem is what is done with the information gained from the tests we are currently using and what abilities are not reflected in these tests.  I feel as a both parent and a teacher that often the information is misused.  We have parents who started selecting schools based on lead tables and results from standardised tests.  Schools that started using standardised tests, such as NAPLAN, as a means of screening potential students.  This, I believe, has led to many schools teaching to the test or screening students out of tests to improve their results which in fact are skewing the data, and it’s not what the test results should be used for.

 

As the cartoon in Bruce Stewart’s reply shows one test cannot give an accurate depiction of a student’s ability.  It brought to my mind Howard Gardiner Multiple Intelligence Theory and a quote that is often attributed to him “it is not how smart you are; but how you are smart”.  Learners in the 21st century have the opportunity to respond creatively, collaboratively and exercise problem solving skills through inquiry based learning that will allow them to construct meaning and develop 21st century skills.  How we assess our accountability in this process is hard to measure quantitatively, but I feel is still necessary.

(Stewart, 2017)

Education System (Stewart, 2017)

 

 

Stewart, B. (2017, April 10). Forum 4.1 [Online discussion group]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&forum_id=_84756_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_42098_1&course_id=_23912_1&message_id=_1116816_1#msg__1116816_1Id

Forum 3.4 Advocacy, accountability and research

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This week we were asked as part of our discussion group how we would show that we meet one of the standards outlined by AITSL.  I chose  4: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environment.

 

4.1 Support Student Participation: I would design a libguide that linked to lists of new recommended reads for different year levels, interests and genres.

 

4.2 Manage Classroom Activities:  I would ensure that the library space design allowed for all work environments ranging from collaborative to quiet independent work areas.

 

4.3 Manage Challenging Behaviour: I would set clear student behaviour expectations so that both library staff and student body were aware of library etiquette.

 

4.4 Maintain Student Safety:  Using our libguides I would design a wellbeing page with tips and links on how to deal with the stress of being a student and teenager in todays world.

 

4.5 Use ICT Safely, responsibly and ethically: Implement a digital citizenship program that adapted with the age of the students building to include their digital footprint that employees are now vetting applicants on.

 

What are you doing to meet the standards?

Forum 3.3 – Support for TL’s

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Orande human puzzle pieces fitting together
Orande human puzzle pieces fitting together

geralt / Pixabay

A teacher librarian’s building dynamic relationships, and the relationship with the Principal is key, to being effective within the school community.

I have been lucky enough to work in schools where this relationship is beneficial to both the teacher librarian and the principal, and have seen in other schools what happens when this relationship is ignored.

Harry S Truman once said “It is amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit”, and this quote works beautifully when taken in context of the library.  Does the program you want have to be a ‘Library Program’ or can it be a ‘school initiative’?  When the TL communicates effectively, works to advance the school, includes other teachers or departments in the program they will in turn have a principal who supports their commitment, allows them the time to work with other teachers, and will enable the resources needed for their programs.

If on the other hand, there is little to no relationship, the teacher librarian could be isolated from resources, relegated to the sidelines of curriculum decisions and seen as obsolete.  Sometimes you need to find out what is important to the person holding the purse strings, and work towards that before you can add your own items to the agenda.

 

Forum 3.2 Role of the TL

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Firstly, thank you Lee for including Valenza’s (2010) ‘Revised Manifesto’ in this module, hers was the practical application of the role of the teacher librarian that was outlined in the other readings that spoke to me.

Sometimes I feel as a teacher librarian, I am a jack of all trades but a master of none.

One thing I do know is that people are important, and I felt this was reflected in Lamb (2011) article stressing the importance of “building dynamic relationships” to achieve the myriad of roles that are encompassed in the title of calling ourselves teacher librarians.  I do not feel that in any way this negates the other elements of being a teacher librarian, but instead is the foundation of a good teacher librarian.

I am lucky enough to work as part of a fantastic team under a head librarian who manages her team effectively knowing our weaknesses and using our strengths.  This is the one aspect of being a teacher librarian that I think is often missed when outlining our role.  The aspect of being a ‘team manager’.  If we can become good team managers it would not be a case of “What existing tasks/roles do you think you as a TL could give up in order to be as proactive as Lamb and Valenza want you to be?” but one of which tasks do you think you could delegate and still achieve the ultimate goal of being a teacher librarian – providing a school environment that helps students to be information literate students and lifelong learners.

The role of the teacher librarian is dynamic and expansive, clearly illustrated in Nicole Moore’s (2017) diagram below.  Central to every aspect of this role is collegiality.

 

 

(Moore, 2017)

Role of Teacher Librarian (Moore, 2017)

 

 

Lamb, A. (2011). Bursting with potential: Mixing a media specialist’s palette. Techtrends : Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 55(4), 27-36.

Moore, N. (2017, April 17). Role of the teacher librarian [Image – Online discussion group] Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/discussionboard/do/message?action=list_messages&forum_id=_84749_1&nav=discussion_board_entry&conf_id=_42098_1&course_id=_23912_1&message_id=_1116708_1#msg__1116708_1Id

Valenza,  J. (2010) A revised manifesto. Retrieved from http :// blogs . slj .com/ neverendingsearch /2010/12/03/a-revised-manifesto/

 

Forum 3.1 – AITSL Standards

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As someone who is new to the field of working as a teacher librarian and at the same time new to working in a secondary school setting I find the ASLA evidence guides extremely useful.  They ensure that we keep the professional teacher within us accountable. We are both a teacher and a librarian.  The tasks that we perform as ‘librarians’ need to be rooted in the education of our students and therefore directly tied to the curriculum and professional standards.  We are afforded the rare opportunity of peeking beyond the curtain and witnessing all the key learning areas in all the year levels engage with the curriculum.  They can guide my practice, show me what I am achieving well and where I need to improve.

Engaging with teachers in formulating and implementing guided inquiry tasks with the students, teacher librarians actively display all professional standards outlined by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership.

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2014). Australian professional standards for teachers. Retrieved from https://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list

Australian School Library Association (ASLA). (2012). Publications. Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/publications/evidence-guides.aspx